A number of motionless or static mixer types exist. These mixer types, for the most part, implement the same general principle to mix materials, such as fluids, together. In these mixers, fluids are mixed together by dividing the fluids into several flow paths, and recombining the fluids until the layers of the fluids are mixed to a point where they are thin and eventually diffuse past one another. This action is achieved by forcing the fluid over a series of mixing baffles of alternating geometry. Such division and recombination causes the layers of the fluids being mixed to thin and eventually diffuse past one another.
Mixers in the current state of the art include at least two parts. The first part is a housing or tube that acts as a fluid conduit through which the materials to be mixed may flow. The second part is a separate mixing element, having a plurality of baffles or other features that are configured to mix the fluids in the manner described above. In order to manufacture such static mixers, the first and second parts are made separately by injection molding. Then, once the individual parts are manufactured, the manufacturer must perform the additional step(s) of inserting the mixing element or multiple mixing elements into the housing and rigidly fixing it thereto (i.e., via adhesives, plastic welding, interference fit, etc.). Despite the success of such static mixers, there are drawbacks to current designs. In order to manufacture a high number of injection molded parts efficiently, a high amount of molds must be used, which may be very costly. Moreover, the injection molding process presents limitations to the geometries of the mixing elements. Despite the success and efficacy of multiple part, injection molded static mixers, there is a need for improvement in the art.